LORDSHIP REC USERS FORUM
Report of Meeting of 23rd April 2007 in Broadwater Centre
Present: Irene Lee and Brian Scott (Friends of Graham Lee); Ray Swain, Caroline Jepsom, Steve Hill, and Dave Morris (Friends of Lordship Rec); Rebecca Turpin (BTCV); Paul Ely (LBH Recreation Services); David Hunwick (Broadwater Centre); Bev Willie (Bruce Grove Residents Network); Martin Burrows (Back To Earth); Liam Devaney (Highbury Builders Collective)
Apologies: Su Jolly (Broadwater Farm Centre), Kate Garner (LBH West Green and Bruce Grove Neighbourhood Team), Perry (BMX/Skateboarding), Michael Loughnane (LBH Recreation Services), Joan Curtis (Friends of Lordship Rec), Hilary Adams (Bruce Grove Residents Network).
1. Minutes of 12th March 2007. Agreed. Noted that the first heading of item 11: Maintenance Issues, should have read Skateboard Area and not Multi-use Games Area as stated.
2. Greenway Cycle Route
Work is in progress. Tarmac laying had begun on 23rd April. Some damage had occurred in certain areas. Paul made assurances that all damage would be put right.
Ray reported that the “rising bollard” at the Broadwater Farm Entrance had been removed. Paul promised to look in to this.
3. Cycle Club Project
No further news. Paul will check with Daniel for an update on the Specialist Cycle Club Project. He will also attempt to confirm with Daniel the project’s involvement in the major event in the Rec planned for 8th Sept.
4. HLF Bid
Project Officer
Paul said that a project officer had yet to be appointed and that the council’s own employment agency had failed to produce candidates of sufficient quality to be suitable for this post. He added that he would be interviewing a highly suitable candidate (not through the council’s agency) within a few days with a view to an immediate appointment.
New Management Plan
FoLR has yet to respond in detail to the recent draft management plan. Dave re-iterated his view, expressed at the meeting on 12th March, that the Management Plan had been a weak feature of the last bid. He stressed the importance of a conservation strategy to convince the HLF that the bid is heritage related.
Paul felt that in the previous bid the history of the Rec had not been fully presented. He said that a new major nature conservation officer was now in situ and that once the project officer was in place a meeting would be held to secure a conservation strategy for all the heritage features.
Audience Development Plan / Survey
Rebecca reported that Jan Wilson (Recreation Services) had given her the template for the park users survey completed for the HLF bid for Markfield Park. She had modified it a little to more aptly fit the needs for Lordship Rec and was now happy to go ahead with it. Draft copies were handed out at the Forum.
The Forum felt that it was now of utmost importance to come up with a clear strategy with regard to the user survey and the people who'd volunteered to help. It was agreed that Paul would meet with Rebecca and Martin to plan it. It was considered important to canvass those within the catchment area of the Rec who do not currently use the Rec. This would be done through the postal survey.
Paul suggested linking the survey with the forthcoming “Bling Your Dog Day” to be held in the rec on 26 May. Irene pointed out that the Friends of Graham Lee will be having its biannual “clean-up/care day” in the memorial tree plantation on 12th May. It was ageed to make use of both of these events to launch the survey. Caroline felt that it was also very important at the same time to build up a picture of rec usage by carrying out random sample surveys at varying times of the day throughout the week.
The Friends of Lordship Rec had organised a video event in the Rec on 22nd Apr which went really well. A professional film-maker and the Friends had interviewed rec users to elicit past recollections, present views and future ideas about the rec. Bev hoped to help with the follow-up day ofvideo-filming at various key sites around the Rec relevant to the HLF bid.
Major Event to Launch Bid- 8th Sept.
A list of planned activities for the event of 8th Sept had been appended to the report for the 12th Mar meeting. A working group, involving Joan, Caroline, Paul and possibly others, will meet up to co-ordinate the event. Planned activities were discussed by the forum as follows:
Fun Run - Confirmed.
Sports - Confirmed by Clasford (BWFC) to include male and female football and basketball.
Dog Related Activity - Still to be confirmed. Another event, “Bling Your Dog” is planned for 26th May in the rec and it is hoped to build on that event to hold something of a similar nature on 8th Sept. Joan will liaise on this and has already contacted the Wood Green Animal Shelter.
Cycle Events - Waiting for confirmation from Daniel and the new Cycling Club. Paul will contact Maurice Richards for liaison with Transport for London (TfL). He will also check with Martin Hall.
Lakeside Events - Confirmed. If funding available will include a nature trail.
Tree-related Activities - FOGL confirmed that they will hold an event, probably including a photographic display of the tree development in the plantation, tree I.D. info. etc. Irene suggested that the FOGL could also link up with the lakeside events where the activities would overlap. Caroline will contact Tree Trust.
Health Walks and Well-being Activities - Health walks already confirmed.
Skateboard/BMX Jam - Perry will go ahead with this, but he needs the be sure of insurance, first aid, electricity etc. he can provide a sound system.
Horticultural Show/Sale - Martin confirmed that the flower and produce show/sale should go ahead and that the allotments people are happy to be involved. Produce could either be sold or auctioned. Chris from Hackney City Farm will bring a few small animals. They will be in a fenced-off enclosure. (Martin)
Display re Rec Projects - Confirmed (LBH and LRUF).
BWF Cafe - It is hoped that the BWFCC will put on a food related event in the Jazz cafe. This is yet to be confirmed by Su Jolly, as is the involvement of the BWFCC in general. Paul commented that food licensing would need to be sorted out.
Childrens Area - The Mothers and Toddlers Group will probably provide refreshments in the hut as at past festivals.
History Walk - Confirmed (Ray).
Book & Toy Bus - Joan to confirm hire of the bus.
Art Activities - Joan has been in touch with Angie, who is still to confirm.
Labyrinth - Angie will obtain funds and run it herself.
Martial Arts/Tai Chi etc. - There is already Tai Chi activity in the rec. We agreed a 'martial arts/dance/performance' area with matting would be really good. Paul will pursue this and look into funding as Caroline pointed out that activities of this nature will bump up the infrastructure costs.
Info Stalls - To be confirmed nearer the time. It is hoped that these will be run by local community groups. Steve agreed to co-ordinate the info stalls with support, and will liaise with Caroline and Joan. Ray suggested that the Bruce Castle Museum could also be involved.
Adventure Play - No response to date from Haringey Play Association, who we are hoping will put on activities in the adventure playground. Paul will get in touch with them.
Bouncy Castle - To be confirmed. Paul will attempt to contact and involve local children’s centres including Fiona MacRitchie (BWF) and also Tower Gardens Play Centre.
Although stakeholders will be responsible for their own event including obtaining or providing of funding, FoLR pointed out that at least £1.500 would be required for basic infrastructure costs. Caroline is to make the grant application to the council and Paul will advise on the details, and confirmed that the council will provide basic funding to this level at least.
Martin expressed concern at the cost of producing and distributing leaflets and asked if a budget could be made available for this. This is to be discussed by the working group.
Music - is to be added as a possible event and
Schools - it is hoped to involve local schools, although the date of the event may make this difficult.
Timing of the Event - 1- 6 pm.
Timing of Photo Shoot - Provisionally set for 4 pm, but the working group will decide.
5. Back to Earth Project/MTA Hut
Martin said that since the last meeting two visits of Forum members had been arranged to Hackney City Farm and hopefully now many people had a better idea as to how and whether this could be adapted for the Rec.
A solution to the problems with the MTA hut continues to elude the Forum. The difficult problem rests with the funding for refurbishment and/or improvement. HLF has stated that it will not fund the hut. Paul emphasised that the council will probably not fund improvements to the hut from available capital funding, given the current level of usage and still see a partnership with BTE as a possible means of accessing funding from alternative sources. Since BTE is not building-oriented it is difficult to see how its involvement will meet the desires of FoLR and residents for an improved hut with toilets and a café and other improved facilities.
To this end Martin introduced Liamof Highbury Building Project to the Forum. Liam had conducted a brief visit to the building, and was concerned about the drainage problem with dampness at the top of the hill. Ray thought it was due to the natural underground spring and not a leaking pipe. Paul said that the council will look in to this. Martin confirmed that so far BTE had only looked into a self-build solution. Liam added that the presentbuilding had an alienating look and said that he would make photographs and pictures of samples of self-build projects available for the Forum at the next meeting to help the Forum consider a number of options of how a partial or total self-build could help..
Everyone admires what BTE has done in Hackney, but the key challenge is how to respond to the needs of the rec in general and the hut in partiucular.
Paul agreed that all buildings in the rec needed solutions to be found, but that funding was creating a stalemate and inertia in making improvements - funding would only be obtained ifan improvement in the projected usage ofthe hut could be established.
6. Woodland Area No further news.
7. Lake No more news.
8. Broadwater CentreIt was felt that Su will probably organise the consultation over the BWF Centre grounds as part of the Bling Your Dog event on 26th May.
9. DogsFoLR will be involved in the event on 26th May including putting up a marquee.
10. Maintenance Issues
Ray has made up an extensive list of outstanding maintenance issues and passed this to Paul, for Michael Loughnane. Irresponsible and anti-social behaviour of the company developing at the Lordship Lane gate was reported and Paul agreed it would be investigated.
11. AOB
Wartime Bomb Shelter Deaths memorial
We noted there had been renewed interest and publicity about this Friends proposal (included in the masterplan as a memorial bridge across the river).
Moselle River ProposalPaul reported that he is working with an officer from the Environment Agency re funding for the next stage of the river project. He added that the new Lordship Rec project officer when in place will follow this up.
Fun FairFoLR has been asked to support a commercial fun fair in the Rec.Concerns were expressed that the only flat area in the rec is low lying and prone to flooding and would not be suitable for heavy vehicles, which could cause deep rutting and damage to drainage. There was also a concern about damage to the drainage pipe system under the main field.
DitchThe River Moselle course is severely blocked and continues to be smelly. The question wasasked as to whether the Environment Agency completed the clearing out work. Paul will look into this.
Forthcoming Events
Friends of Graham Lee are holding a tidy-up/care day in the plantation on 12th May, starting at around 11am.
The Broadwater Farm Residents’ Association is organising an anti-slavery commemoration event on 7th July.
Friends sof Lordship Rec, as always, have their monthly open drop in / meeting on the first Sunday of each month, 2pm in the hut.
There were a number of walks and talks in the Rec in the coming months, planned by BTCV and/or the FLR.